Famous Russian kulebyaka with meat

Russian cuisine is rich in its traditions and unique recipes for mouth-watering dishes. One of such masterpieces of Russian cooks by right can be considered kulebyaka. Historians argue that for the first time this dish was mentioned in the 12th century. In composition, it is a pie with a complex multi-tier filling. Traditionally, kulebyaka is prepared from a yeast dough. The filling consists of several types of minced meat, which are stacked on top of each other and divided among themselves by thin fresh pancakes. Usually, two to four layers are used. But it is known that in one of the Moscow merchant clubs in the 19th century they were preparing a twelve-tier kulebyaka.

At home, they usually do not use such complex options. Most often a dish with a filling of two levels is prepared. For example, kulebyaka with meat and porridge. The first layer of the filling is a minced meat, fried with onions in sunflower oil. As the second level, boiled rice with egg is taken. The complex stuffing turns into a dough and is baked in the oven at a sufficiently high temperature. After cooling on a cross-section, both layers are clearly distinguished.

Over the years, the way of preparing this famous dish has changed a little. The filling was prepared in the form of a single layer, in which several products are mixed. So there was kulebyaka with meat and cabbage. In this case, minced meat is fried with onions and finely chopped cabbage leaves. Known also is kulebyaka with meat and pumpkin. At the same time, vegetables are first fried, and then the hot mass is mixed with minced meat. The filling is juicy, soft and very fragrant. Even easier is preparing an ordinary poultry meat. Here the filling is wrapped in a dough consisting only of minced meat and fried onions. In principle, it can be considered as a two-level version, in which the layers are thoroughly mixed with each other. The oven is such a cake is much easier, but the taste is no worse than the rest.

Especially it is necessary to prepare a dough for kulebyaki. It should be a small part of the total mass of the pie and be strong enough to keep heavy and thick stuffing inside. Most often, kulebyak is made from a yeast dough. But sometimes the use of puff and even semi-finished products is allowed. It all depends on the filling. Do not forget that the dough is just a package, in which the fragrant contents of the pie are placed. It should not be much. The filling should be covered with a thin layer of dough, so that it is firmly held inside it.

To prepare a yeast dough for two small kulebyak, you will need: 450 grams of flour (wheat), 260 milliliters of warm milk, 2 teaspoons of salt, 12 grams of pressed fresh yeast, 45 grams of sugar, 90 grams of butter and yolks of three eggs.

Prepare such a dough in advance in several ways:

1. Yeast pour the milk until completely dissolved.
2. Mix the salt with flour. Then gradually introduce yolks, dissolved yeast and using a mixer for five minutes to prepare a homogeneous dough of sticky consistency. Knees need to be driven at a relatively low speed.
3. Gradually increasing the speed, to achieve a homogeneous structure of the mixture. This will take another 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oil and mix it with sugar until a paste-like mass forms.
5. Continuing kneading, this warm mass in small portions to enter into the dough. Beforehand it is necessary to reduce the rotation speed of the mixer to a minimum.
6. When all the oil is inside, it is necessary to maximize the speed of rotation and for 10 minutes knead the homogeneous dough until the mass becomes soft and elastic.
7. Cover the dough with the food film and leave it at room temperature for 2 hours. During this time, it will increase significantly in volume.
8. After this, the dough should be kneaded again, covered with a film and removed to a cold place for 2 or 3 hours.

The first stage of the process is over. Now you can do the stuffing. And then go to the main stage and learn from your own experience how to cook a kulebyaka. Take the simplest stuffing, consisting of onions and minced meat. For one pie, you will need: 0.5 kilograms of minced meat, pepper, a couple of onions, salt and butter for frying. It is prepared very simply:

1. Onions cut into cubes of arbitrary sizes and fry in a frying pan in butter.
2. In the frying pan lay out the mince, add salt, add pepper and fry it with onion for 10 minutes. For flavor, you can add your favorite spices, but you can and without them.

Now it's time for the last stage of the process. It is necessary to finish the preparation of the kulebyaki itself. For this:

1. Cutting table sprinkle with flour and roll out the dough into a layer not more than 1 centimeter thick.
2. Center to lay out the filling.
3. Turn the edge of the dough and form an oval shaped blank. Surface to grease with egg, make a fork with several punctures and send the product to the oven.
4. Baked kulebyaka at a temperature of 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
5. As soon as the appetizing golden crust appears on the surface, we check the readiness of the dough with a toothpick.
6. Fried kulebyaka take out their oven, grease with butter and cover with a towel. Once the cake has cooled down a bit, you can serve it on the table and invite guests.

Eat such yummy as an independent dish after the soup. Usually it is poured with melted butter or sour cream, but you can use some other sauce. This fragrant pie is good in winter and summer, on holidays and weekdays. He will always be welcome. The hostess, who knows how to cook kulebyaka, can consider that she has achieved perfection in culinary arts.